Side Street (1949) User Reviews

Granger as flawed Everyman caught up in an urban vortex

[bmacv · 8/10 · 22 June 2003]

A dazzling aerial shot taken high above the Empire State Building opens Anthony Mann's Side Street, and, throughout the movie, glimpses of that New York obelisk recur – sometimes dark and menacing, sometimes caught at the vanishing point of an urban canyon. It's a subtle image of the wide gulf on a narrow island between the pride and power of the haves and the borderline, hand-to-mouth lives of the have-nots for whom it's a distant and alien totem.

War veteran Farley Granger tries to make ends meet by shouldering a mail bag part-time; he and his pregnant wife Cathy O'Donnell (the pair reunited from the previous year's They Live By Night) live in a bedroom of his folks' railroad flat. Delivering one day to a shyster lawyer (Edmon Ryan), he spots a few big bills strewn carelessly about; the next, when he finds the office empty, he succumbs to temptation, only to find that the couple of hundred he thought he copped is really about $30-grand. Out of his depth, he wraps up the cash and gives it to a bartender to keep, while he checks into a fleabag hotel to think things out.

The money's a payoff in Ryan's blackmail racket, whose chief lure is Adele Jergens (misnamed `Lucky,' as she's soon fished out of the river). When Granger decides to come clean and return the money, Ryan denies all knowledge of it (it could link him to Jergen's murder). But he sets his loose cannon of a goon (James Craig) to retrieve the cash any way he can. Granger finds that his trusty barkeep has absconded with his package; when he tracks him down, he finds him dead, too.

A cadre of police assigned to the murder (Charles McGraw and Paul Stewart among them) thinks Granger's the prime suspect, so he has to turn sleuth to clear himself. His trail leads him to a Village dive where one of the numbers in Craig's little black book (Jean Hagen) croons `Easy to Love....'

Side Street hews to the classic noir narrative of the average guy caught up in dark forces he can neither understand nor control, and Granger gives it one of his finer performances, perplexed and terrified at what he's unleashed. And while O'Donnell's role is conventional and secondary, Hagen gives her brief sequence as a boozy moth drawn to a fatal flame a poignant spark (Jergens, platinumed and sequined, does her even briefer sequence proud).

To the extent that Mann indulges in social comment, he leaves it to be inferred (the same year, Granger appeared in the far more explicitly leftist Edge of Doom). At the end, the shots of the opening are rhymed with an eagle-eyed view of a police chase through the deserted streets of lower Manhattan early on a Sunday morning. It's a Bullitt-like ending for a movie that, while gripping, shows far more texture and nuance than Bullitt.

A Real New York Movie

[cpassen · 8/10 · 14 November 2001]

Tight plot, good acting, sustained suspense, but above all, terrific shots of NYC. We were given a tour of lower Manhattan, including Wall Street (where the movie ends), the City Hall area, Greenwich Village, and the Lower East Side. The photography was dark, gritty, and realistic, and we current and former New Yorkers are given a visual treat by Anthony Mann.

The Ineffectual Farley Granger

[Bruce-49 · 7/10 · 18 December 2005]

It's always fun to watch Farley Granger sweat bullets over a screw-up. This time the part-time letter carrier stumbles upon a quick way to pick up a couple of hundred bucks so that his pregnant wife can have all the good things in life, namely a private room at the hospital. When he ends up with a bit more cash than he bargains for, he begins to behave every bit as stupidly and nonsensically as you would expect him to. Anthony Mann skillfully keeps the usual suspect noir elements in the mix. Jean Hagen plays the saloon singer who prefers to drink her meals at the improbable club Les Artistes. James Craig plays the big lug with a shady past and the police detectives including the frog throated Charles McGraw have plenty of colorful characters to question. But it's Farley Granger who keeps the ball rolling. You never know what dumb move he'll make next.

Stylish film noir

[RobW · 7/10 · 19 March 1999]

"Side Street" is a stylish, if convoluted murder mystery about a failed small-time business man (Joe Norson) who is tempted into committing a robbery. Unfortunately the money he takes belongs to a couple of ruthless blackmailers, who aren't impressed when Joe offers to return it - mainly because the "friend" he left it with for safe-keeping helped himself to it. From then on, everything Joe tries gets him deeper into trouble.

Over-long and over-complicated, but competently made and in best film noir style makes good use of light and shade. Conveys well the general seediness and desperation of small-timers trying to make the big time in New York.

Very watchable, not least for Jean Hagen as the vamp who sets the guys up.

great viewing

[christopher-underwood · 7/10 · 22 August 2007]

Plot holes aside and not having to mind watching Farley Granger floundering rather pathetically, this is one heck of a noir. Worth it just for the location shooting. Tremendous shots of 50s New York City, probably as good as any archive material and if the plot verges on the silliness, everybody gives it their all. Great performances from the leads to the lowliest support. Much of that must be down to Mann and whether it was decided to use so much location shooting because of the budget or not it is truly awe inspiring from those opening aerial shots, the fantastic market area and the amazing chase through the streets at the end. So, not the most attention grabbing plot but still great viewing.

Side-Swiped

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 1 July 2005]

**SPOILERS** Film that shows that even the most honest of us can get a little crazy when financial conditions warrant.

Part-time letter carrier Joe Norson, Farley Granger, has dreams about him and his wife living the life of luxury and traveling the world over in style. In reality Joe is down on his luck barely able to support himself with his job, as a part-time flexible, in the Post office much less his wife Ellen, Cathy O'Donnell, and a little one on the way. Delivering mail to attorney Victor Backett, Edmon Ryan, one morning Joe notices two $100.00 bills fall out of a folder from Backett's filing cabinet; all of a sudden a bell rang in Joe's head.

The next day Joe again delivering mail to Backett notices the office door opened and the place empty. Joe sees his chance to take the two hundred dollars in Backetts file cabinet and use it to pay for his wife and soon to be born child's medical expenses. Finding the cabinet locked Joe goes outside and see an ax, for the use if there's a fire, in the hallway and uses it to break into it and take the folder that he saw the money in the day before.

On an empty roof-top Joe, to his utter surprise, sees that the folder doesn't contain just the $200.00 that he thought was in it but $30,000.00 in cold hard cash. What Joe is soon to find out is that the money is a blackmail payment from Emil Lorrison, Paul Harvey, that Backett and his co-blackmailer "Big George" Garsell, James Craig, took from the other blackmailer working with them party girl "Lucky" Lucille Colner, Adele Jergens. It was "Lucky" Lucille who's body was found floating in the East River that morning.

Joe guilt-ridden at what he did tries to return the stolen cash but doesn't know quite just how without ending up behind bars for grand larceny. It's then that Joe gives the secretly wrapped-up cash to bar owner Gus Heldon, John Gallaudet, for safe keeping telling him that it's a gift for is wife Ellen. Joe later goes to see Backett to somehow get him to take his money back but Backett tells Joe he has no idea what he's talking about! The 30 grand is hot and unknowing to Joe can lead whoever has it straight to the electric chair for the murder of "Lucky" Lucille.

The move "Side Street" then takes on the form of a man on the run from both the hoods after him to not only get their money back but rub Joe out to keep him from talking to the police with the cop also looking for Joe as a suspect in the murder of barkeeper Gus who "Big George" tracked down and strangled in order to get the blackmail money back.

Joe needing proof that he had nothing to do with Gus' murder finds a photo of "Big George's" former girlfriend Harriette Sinton, Jean Hagen, in the stolen folder. Tracking Hrriette down to the Les Artisets nightclub, where she's working as a singer, Joe does his best to get her to open up about the "Big" man telling Harriette that he's a old friend of "Big George" and would like to know where he lives. Noticing Joe going through her purse as she went backstage to change Harriett, smelling a rat, calls "Big George" thus setting Joe up to be ambushed.

Exciting final as Joe is knocked out kidnapped and about to be deep-sixth in the East River by "Big George" and his partner taxi driver Larry Giff, Harry Belaver. There's a hair-raising ride through the Wall Street as well as the Washington Park section, that was later demolished to make way for the tragic World Trade Center complex, in downtown Manhattan with the cops hot on "Big George" and Larry's tail.

Joe who's sense of honesty almost cost him his life, and his young wife Ellen the loss of a sweet and caring husband and breadwinner, in the end not only becomes a father and future role model to his new born son but also a hero in the eyes of the people of New York City as well.

Another Antony Mann-Directed Noir, Which Means Great Photography

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 26 December 2007]

This is a pretty good film noir that, happily, was released recently on DVD, giving us fans of this genre another movie to enjoy. It had one of the best noir directors, too: Anthony Mann, who always makes sure we get some great visuals. This is no exception, with good angles, shadows and light and a great big-city feel of New York.

Along the way, we get a not-untypical noirish tale of an basically-good guy who makes a dumb move and pays for his sins even after his conscience gets the best of him and he tries to atone. This winds up to be a story of a man chasing the real crooks, while the crooks and the police chase him! They still make films with these kind of plots and they are almost always interesting.

Farley Granger does a fine job in the lead as the dupe, "Joe Norson," who is too weak to pass up easy money and pays for it. Cathy O'Donnell is his wife and gets second billing but she really doesn't have that big a role. A bunch of other actors really share "supporting cast" status as Granger rules the roost here, lines-wise. For me, it was strange seeing James Craig as the "heavy." I mainly know him from totally opposite, All-American characters in films like "The Human Comedy" and "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes." Here, he's a viscous thug.

The city of New York might be the real second star of this film. There are many shots of it and its skyscrapers, from above and street level looking up. I love those old cars, too!

Man On The Run

[Lechuguilla · 17 January 2010]

Farley Granger dominates this urban crime drama about a man named Joe Norson, a down-on-his-luck mailman who happens on to a wad of cash, and impulsively steals it, not knowing that the money is connected to the murder of a well-known woman. Sensing his mistake, Joe tries to straighten out the situation, but does all the wrong things. In the process, he gets mixed up with thugs. It's Joe's choices that propel the plot.

More than anything else, "Side Street" is a character study of Joe, described by the film's narrator as: "no hero, no criminal, just human like all of us, weak like some of us, foolish like most of us". He's basically a good guy. But he gets tempted. When he yields to the temptation to steal, his whole world unravels.

As with 1940s noir crime dramas, all the characters in "Side Street" seem desperate, frightened, and unhappy. They're like rats in a maze. And the film's setting in lower Manhattan really accentuates that boxed in, trapped, claustrophobic feeling.

The B&W cinematography is excellent. From wide shots to close-ups, from low-angle to very high-angle, the variety of camera shots keeps the visuals interesting. Overhead shots of Manhattan at the beginning are among the best I have seen for such an old movie. Lighting is noir-based, consistent with crime films of that era.

My only complaint is that some of the secondary characters are a tad difficult to keep track of, a fault of the script. But a second viewing clears things up.

Beautifully photographed on location in lower Manhattan with its maze of narrow side streets, "Side Street" is a well-made film with an interesting story about a regular guy, trapped in a literal maze between tall buildings and a thematic maze of difficult choices. Farley Granger gives a fine performance, as does Cathy O'Donnell, his long-suffering wife.

Temptation.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 12 November 2013]

Anthony Mann directed this film noir that stars Farley Granger as a struggling letter carrier with a pregnant wife(played by Cathy O'Donnell) who is worried about how he will support them on his salary. Fate intervenes when he is tempted to steal money from ruthless racketeers. He thinks its only a few hundred dollars, but turns out to be several thousands. Now guilt-stricken, he is also being pursued by the racketeers who want their money back, and will gladly kill him in the process. Well-directed and acted film effectively portrays the pitfalls of giving in to temptation and theft, which results in near-fatal consequences for Granger, who wishes he had never taken the money.

textbook noir is helped by strong Anthony Mann direction and punchy dialog

[Quinoa1984 · 8/10 · 19 August 2007]

Side Street opens with narration that is practically omniscient, or at least as much as a New York City cop can get, and put over a very explicitly edited sequence showing various workers and people all across the city. Then it moves right into the saga of Joe (as in 'Average Joe' one might think), who is a postal delivery man who gets tempted by greed when he realizes the same amount is left in a drawer of one of the people he drops off for- $200- which would be just enough to get some new things for his wife and their kid on the way. He takes what's in there (a little grin for when he finds the crowbar to pry open the drawer as a cat watches), but later discovers it's $30,000, which as the narrator tells us is "much too much" for Joe to even think about ever having. He hides it, but it gets switched around from the bartender he left it with, and a nefarious criminal is out to get it as well, who originally left it in the drawer. Joe is racked with guilt, but can't turn himself in all the way: he'll do into part of the seedy underbelly to get it back and clear his name.

And so goes one of those stories that one might find under the dictionary if one went to look for B-noir archetypes (A-noir would probably be Double Indemnity, if it could be considered as such). Even if the femme fatale is reduced to a supporting role (Jean Hagen as the floozy Harriet, a nightclub singer who has a great scene with Granger's Joe), you've got the existential protagonist who's down on his luck and can't stand being a criminal for too long, and the cops who are out to get him and whomever, and the real villain (George played by James Craig fairly typically) who is the most desperate of all to escape at all costs. Granger and O'Connell come close to doing a reprisal of their parts in They Live By Night, only this time with the complication of a baby thrown in right away, and the sides of good conscience always present except for an instance (really amusing) when she screams on the phone to Joe "RUN, RUN AWAY" when prodded to talk him out of what he's doing by the cops.

A lot of this, to those who are only somewhat familiar with the attitude of a solid noir thriller, isn't too surprising, and comes close to being average in story material. But it's heightened terrifically by Anthony Mann's direction; it would be one thing if material like this, which could be found in any pulp mystery magazine of the period for ten cents, was filmed with only competence and some skill in the storytelling. But many of the images in Side Street are indelible and essential for the sub-genre. If for nothing else it's a tour-de-force as far as pure film-making goes, as shots in the shadows are incredible (I loved the nightclub scene in the first images, cutting back and forth between Joe and Harriet), and the editing to go along with it is taut and hard-edged for the period and budget, particularly in the climactic chase through New York City's downtown areas. And, if nothing else should strike as a reason to see it, as far as NYC movies go it's a keeper, with the feeling as gritty as possible through the use of real streets and people and cars and accidents and dark alleys.

Imagine a Hitchcockian thriller, but heavier, more humorless; rather good.

[alice liddell · 7/10 · 8 September 1999]

Although not as dynamic or inventive as his earlier DESPERATE, this is a very good film noir from Western maestro Anthony Mann. Where DESPERATE was actually a Western in modern thriller form, SIDE STREET is more of a Hitchcockian innocent-in-peril film, although much heavier.

The film's brilliance is mainly stylistic, but it's clever too. It starts off worryingly as one of those ghastly Fox March-Of-Time pseudo-documentary thrillers (e.g. CALL NORTHSIDE 477). A Voice Of God narrator booms out information about New York, statistics about births, weddings, deaths, crimes, murders. He reveals himself to be an important cop; it is alarming that the film's authoritive voice should literally be The Law.

This Law refuses loose ends - the statistics are there to show that everything is in control: the cops are on top of all crises. And indeed they seem to be - we get a montage of petty criminals being stopped by the ubiquitous police. Frighteningly, as the story proper is introduced, the narrator suggests that it would be a good and useful thing for the police (and by extension us) to know what ordinary people are thinking, as it is often here we find the root of crime; the story is set up as a test case of this.

This glorification of police power is dangerously fascist, although it was probably seen as reassurance for a post-war audience. But Mann subverts this cosy panopticon. Although the story is set up as a detached cop's clear-eyed dissection, it soon becomes a typically dense film noir, where desire and fear make a mockery of authority and order.

This is mainly done by moving the film's point of view away from the narrator to the protagonist. Joe Norson is an innocent, as I suggested, but not in the legal sense - he is a thief. This is 'explained' by Joe's poverty and his essential decency in caring for his pregnant wife - this is a view endorsed by the cop-narrator right through to the end. But the film's visuals suggest otherwise - Joe is profoundly changed by his experiences.

The film starts brightly as a seemingly happy Joe goes on his mail route: this is filmed with an unassuming normality. But, once he conceives of theft, the film's style changes drastically, before he has even entered any kind of underworld. The film's darkness is therefore psychic rather than metaphoric. The camera angles distort madly, shadows loom ominously, lighting and air is sucked form the frame. Although the script tries to keep up the Jean Valjean myth of Joe's essential goodness, it is clear that he becomes damaged: he will never be able to return to his old, naive certainties. He learns both what evil is, that he has it within himself, and how it can be used, even if it's just to save himself. The brilliant final shot bleakly mocks the hollow paternalism of the cop-narrator's words.

As a thriller, the film is tremendously exciting - with the criminal, as in Hitchcock's films, becoming a detective to clear his own name, blurring certainties of law and crime. The final car-chase is justly admired. The heroine is a drip (Granger and O'Donnell's roles lack their romantic intensity in Ray's THEY LIVE BY NIGHT), and the villains, though individually anonymous, provide a disturbing combination of evil. Granger's stiffness is perfect - his outward awkwardness makes the mise-en-scene's emotional dramatisation all the more effective.

The irony of the film is in the title - the actions of the characters in pursuing the American dream are perfectly commensurate with the ideals of Official America (the 'main' street): they take a paralell, less noticeable route ('side' street).

Great Photograph of 1950 NYC

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 16 June 2006]

If you like a great Classic film directed by Anthony Mann, who has many credits to his name, "Winchester'73" '50 and Sydney Boehm,"Violent Saturday",'55 you will definitely like this film. The photography and different angles the camera was placed in, were the work of Anthony Mann who was able to create great film stories on a low budget. In this film, Farley Granger,(Joe Norson),"Strangers on a Train", plays a mailman who is tempted beyond words and makes a very bad mistake he will have to live with. His wife is played by Cathy O'Donnell,(Ellen) who is a very loving and trusting wife who thinks the world of her Joe and tells him she is going to have a new addition to their family. Joe wants the very best for Ellen and takes the step to bring into the scene, Paul Kelly,(Capt. Walter Anderson). In the very beginning of this film you will see Aeriel shots of the Manhattan skyline and plenty of car chases in Wall Street, probably shot on a Sunday, with Central Park and downtown Manhattan Hospitals. Great Class film from 1950 !

Joe Norson doesn't have the cold toughness it takes to be a criminal.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 5 August 2011]

Side Street is directed by Anthony Mann and written by Sydney Boehm. It stars Farley Granger, Cathy O'Donnell, James Craig, Jean Hagen, Paul Kelly, Paul Harvey, Edmon Ryan and Charles McGraw. Music is by Lennie Hayton (original) and Cole Porter (non original), and cinematography is by Joseph Ruttenberg.

Joe Norson (Granger) is desperate for a full time job so he can support his pregnant wife Ellen (O'Donnell). Ever since he lost the filling station he invested in, Joe has struggled to get on top of things. Working part time as a mail carrier, Joe is tempted to steal what he thinks is $200 dollars from a lawyers office he delivered to earlier on his rounds. However, when he gets time to examine his plunder he finds there is in fact $30,000. This is merely the start of his problems, for the money is crooked and sure to be sorely missed by some very tough people. As he frets on how to get out of this mess, the police and the bad guys begin to draw ever closer.

After the winning chemistry that arose out of Granger and O'Donnell's previous pairing for They Live By Night in 1948 (Nicholas Ray), it was no surprise to see them team up again for another slice of noirish pie. With Anthony Mann in the directing chair, having already established himself with the likes of T-Men and Raw Deal, and a decent budget in place, Side Street was in good hands. While although master cinematographer John Alton wasn't available, 4 time Oscar winner Joseph Ruttenberg was no small fry himself. Shooting in and around real New York locations, Mann and Ruttenberg give the film a real sense of authenticity, yes the plot takes some stretching of the imagination, but visually the picture is most appealing to the film noir fan. Be it aerial shots of the maze like Lower Manhattan setting or the shadowy flecked interiors that cloak the characters, Side Street showcases some strengths of director and photographer alike.

Certainly inferior to They Live By Night, and only mid tier of the noir pictures helmed by Mann, Side Street none the less still functions real well as a taut story that features a classic noir protagonist seemingly doomed by his actions. Even though Joe Norson is wimpy, idiotic even, the narrative spins him into a sequence of events that make for some riveting sweaty panic, and sweaty panic is something that Granger does considerably well here. There's no great fleshing out of the romance between husband and wife, because Joe is on the run around mostly, so O'Donnell is more of a secondary character, but we do feel the love and this helps considerably for the last quarter of the film.

It does at times feel like a hammer is tapping us on the forehead with its "Crime Doesn't Pay" morality, however, the bursts of violence bite hard and with Mann adroit in his action construction (a high speed car pursuit in the finale is top draw), film manages to rise above its flaws to entertain fully. In support it's Kelly (narrating and head investigative copper), Ryan (cagey lawyer) and Hagen (torch singer who likes a drink) who leave the best marks, while McGraw, arguably miscast as a good guy, is still good value for a gruff voiced presence. It does feel like an illegitimate second cousin to The Naked City, and a touch more claustrophobia wouldn't have gone amiss on the atmospheric front, but Side Street is a comfortable recommendation to the crime/film noir fan. 7/10

Joe strikes out with dumb acts, ruining the show for this viewer

[FlushingCaps · 4/10 · 4 July 2021]

The plot description on TCM got me to record this a few days ago, and I watched it tonight. It stars Farley Granger as a young part-time postman in New York City, with a wife (Cathy O'Donnell) about to give birth to their first child. They live with the parents of one of them-don't know which, and are quite poor, needless to say.

Joe appears to regularly go inside offices to deliver their mail, and one day he happens inside a lawyer's office, just as a shady guy inside drops two $100 bills on the floor. He crudely insists Joe NOT touch the money that he was about to pick up for the man. The man quickly puts the money in a folder and tosses it in a filing cabinet drawer.

Now we have already seen another man pay $30,000 blackmail to some other woman, who was recently fished out of the river. The story lines aren't really explained, but they do connect.

The next day Joe is delivering the mail when he finds that lawyer's office door open, with a note saying the lawyer will be back in 15 minutes. Joe decides to open that filing cabinet-which is locked-and steal that $200. It'll let Ellen get a private room at the hospital instead of a ward. If it was to let her have some help delivering the kid vs. Doing it alone at home, I could better understand. Hospital wards were common in those days and there was no shame in being in one-my father was in one once time for a couple of days. Losing your self respect by stealing just for that? Strike one against Joe.

Joe actually uses a fire ax to break open the cabinet, then he just pulls out the folder he believes is the right one and stuffs it in his mailbag and flees. He chooses to open it on some nearby rooftop and finds $30,000 in bank bundles-all $100 bills. He stuffs the rest of the papers on the rooftop out of sight and heads home.

Nervous as can be, he proceeds to lie to his wife about getting a job out of town, and he is leaving that night-promising to be back before the baby is due. He doesn't really leave town, just takes a cheap hotel room AFTER doing the second stupidest thing he does in the entire movie: He wraps up all but about $200, which he gave to his wife before he left her alone, and gives it to his favorite bartender to hold for a few days, telling him it's a $4 present for his wife. Consider this strike two on Joe.

Now I can understand he could worry about someone in that apartment finding it, but there are bus and train terminals in the big city with lockers where you can pay a quarter-maybe less-and keep objects in there for more than a few days, all you have to do is not lose the key.

There are lots of other safer ways to keep anything of value than just giving it to a bartender, who as portrayed here, was not a friend of Joe's, just someone who served him a beer on occasion.

Some days later, Joe decides to return the money. I'm fine with that. Now he should have realized-he reads all the papers-that there's something fishy because there were no stories about a theft of $30,000. Who gets that much stolen in 1950 and doesn't report it to the cops? Obviously, someone who got it illegally.

I could understand him deciding to keep it, or mail it back. It would be easy to send it back anonymously and nobody would ever know he took it. Even if he doesn't suspect the lawyer is dishonest, he still might insist on going to the cops if he finds out who took the money. But Joe does the stupidest thing in the world next-he shows up at the lawyer's office, pretending to be there on behalf of a friend, and tells him the friend took $30,000 from him. When the lawyer balks and asks questions, Joe tells him his real name and address. The lawyer insists he wasn't robbed at all. The lawyer lets him go, telling a friend who came in as Joe left that for all he knows the police sent the man there. He knows where to find him and will, once he checks out who he really is.

Joe goes to the bar to retrieve his package and finds out his bartender has sold out and retired. After some trouble, they do locate the package Joe left and he takes it and leaves. But the bad guys are on to him and they grab him off the street and are not too happy when Joe hands them the package and they find nothing more than an article of women's clothing-just what Joe told the bartender was in the package.

This leads us into a typical amateur detective-type story where Joe goes all around, tracking down the bartender, then via a photo a woman who could be involved, he gets caught by the bad guys a couple of times, and we wind up with a long chase scene through the early Sunday morning streets of New York, mostly photographed from, I think, a helicopter.

There is one other stupid scene. The cops are talking to Joe's wife, who insists he is not guilty of murder or anything really. She doesn't know where he is. The phone rings and the cops assume it is Joe. They tell her that it'll be best if Joe turns himself in, but when they give her the phone to pick up, she immediately screams into it for Joe to run because the cops are after you, tracing this call. I guess Ellen is a perfect mate for Joe-between the two of them, they have about half a working brain.

Even if you truly trust the bartender, that $3.98 package he said it was worth could easily have been tossed out when he sold out. That's what makes it so dumb to leave it with him. Obviously, if the bartender cannot be trusted, I mean, if Joe didn't really know the guy, it was double dumb to trust him.

But going to the place where he stole it to return the money was about the stupidest thing imaginable. It would be so easy to mail it back with no return address and his conscious would be clear and nobody would ever suspect him. I spent almost the rest of the movie just waiting for it to end. There was never a reason to like Joe, and I didn't really care for his wife. Most of the subsequent chasing around town dodging the bad guys and the cops just seemed too formulaic and not really interesting. I give this one a 4 and hope I don't sucker into watching it again in 4-5 years when I have, hopefully, forgotten I already wasted my time on it once.

Hard Shell with a Soft Core

[dougdoepke · 16 April 2010]

So who does impulsive thief and part-time mail carrier Joe Norson (Granger) entrust with the $30,000 he's just stolen? Why that well-known paragon of virtue, the friendly neighborhood barkeep, of course. Then, when the latter disappears, a lot richer, guess what-- Joe is surprised! Let's hope the baby his wife just delivered got her genes instead of his. Now Joe gets to chase after the money before either the cops or the crooks get him first. Frankly, my money's on the crooks who certainly know how to surprise us with a broken-down lounge singer (Hagen). But then this is Production Code 1950 with the sweetfaced Granger, so better bet on the kid.

This is Dore Schary's MGM playing catch-up with post-war noir, and they've hired the best— director Anthony Mann. That means the New York street scene never looked grittier, nor the great stone canyons more threatening. And that car chase down empty city corridors looks downright science-fiction eerie. Too bad they've saddled Mann with boring cops and a bad guy (Craig) about as scary as a TV salesman. And was there ever an actress whose sheer sweetness could melt the screen faster than O'Donnell. Together with the artless Granger, Mann's tough-guy cynicism never stood a chance. The visuals tell one story; the characters another. This is hard-shell noir with the softest of cores, but will still keep you stapled to the screen.

SIDE STREET (Anthony Mann, 1950) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 28 September 2007]

Superbly-handled noir, from one of its absolute masters; despite their reputation for wholesomeness, MGM were really into the groove during this time (one of the genre's finest and most influential offerings, John Huston's THE ASPHALT JUNGLE came from them the same year). Apart from reuniting the hounded young couple from Nicholas Ray's THEY LIVE BY NIGHT (1948), Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell, the film also follows the 'story of a city' format laid down by Jules Dassin's THE NAKED CITY (1948).

The narrative (written by genre expert Sydney Boehm) may be implausible at face value, but the snowballing of events – with the perplexed Granger at their centre – carries a genuine social resonance (though, thankfully, straying from sentimentality for the most part) and an undeniable charge of excitement (particularly towards the end, when the bodies start piling up and the police are closing in). O'Donnell's role doesn't allow her much range – though her instinctive appeal in the presence of the police for Granger to run away (with the camera suddenly zooming-in to her face) is beautifully done. Paul Kelly is the compassionate police captain on the case who also narrates the tale; one of his assistants is noir regular Charles McGraw.

The rogues' gallery includes the thuggish James Craig (it was surprising to find the hero of THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER [1941] on the opposite side of the tracks), a corrupt lawyer, another lackey who conveniently uses his cab for kidnapping/body-disposal purposes and, of course, a couple of dames (Jean Hagen is a particular stand-out here: she was also in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, as a good girl this time). As I said, the climactic car chase along New York streets (shot on location) is terrific – though the ensuing happy ending feels tagged-on (MGM may have ultimately vetoed a downbeat finale) - if still leading to a memorable final shot.

Dead-end road.

[dfranzen70 · 7/10 · 17 October 2014]

Anthony Mann's Side Street, another Farley Granger noir, is about a young man who steals money with the best of intentions, only to see his one transgression turn into an avalanche of ever-constricting situations.

Granger is Joe Norson, a part-time letter carrier in New York with a pregnant wife at home. Delivering to a law office, Joe sees a couple of hundred-dollar bills fall to the floor. The dropper gives young Joe a glare and tells him to beat it. A day or so later, Joe notices that the office is temporarily vacant. He busts open a nearby file cabinet and retrieves wads of cash. It's more than the $200 he thought he was going to snag - it's more than $30,000. Only it's not exactly clean money.

Returning to the scene to give back the money doesn't work (the bad guys think he may be trying to lure them to the cops). And when people connected with the law office start getting themselves strangled, Joe finds himself neck deep in some serious problems. Can he get out of New York? What will become of his wife Ellen (Cathy O'Donnell) and their newborn? Why are the cops involved, anyway? A solid supporting cast helps: James Craig, Paul Harvey, Jean Hagen (as a sultry lounge singer), Adele Jurgens (as a blackmailer). Not people on whom you'd want to turn your back, even if they were holding an infant and a puppy. They'd probably throw both at you, anyway, then shoot all three of you.

The best comes last, a harrowing car chase around New York; a cab pursued by the cops. That the cab is also carrying a newly dead person, right there in the back seat, makes the ride all the more terrifying. And because this is a noir film, chances are pretty good it won't end well for most of the characters. Side Street is an excellent example of a film noir, with the usual stark photography, dismal tone, sense of hopelessness, and not-exactly-benign characters.

Visually Exciting NYC Noir

[jzappa · 7/10 · 16 October 2010]

MGM trusted they could reproduce the sensation Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell had while starring in Nicholas Ray's They Live by Night, but they just couldn't generate the same romantic fire with this script to make it feel more palpable. In old movies, people too often seem to plan to change their minds, plan to have a new feeling, plan to undergo a change of heart, react, realize, when in reality they're utterly unconscious, spontaneous, organic things, especially in life-or-death situations involving surviving the mob. The acting feels forced at times, demonstrating transitions rather than creating, or allowing them. It's not a plaguing, or by any means unique, flaw, and there are moments of effective acting and writing, but Side Street succeeds primarily for its action sequences. And while it's not the dramatically engaging story that Ray's film was, Anthony Mann's results in a photographically engaging film noir thriller shot in New York City.

Mann was recognized for his scenes of violence, and using antagonistic surroundings to dramatic effect. He structures his narrative as a ride, in which each juncture is discerned by new backdrops, the scenery growing more and more unwelcoming as the film goes on, figurative of the hero's fall into disarray. The earliest shots of the hero are blended in with the opening montage. He looks into a shop window, where the reflection also contains numerous massive buildings. This is a perspective shot down the street, and the hero emerges from the middle of the shot, to a close-up at front. He is one of a cluster looking at a worker digging up a street. Huge buildings make oblique, occasionally trapezoidal panes in the background. Throughout the film, shots illustrate cityscapes, outlined and shrouded by the convex reflections in windows of taxi cabs and ambulance doors.

The film opens with a succinct homage to the New York police, and one expects that one is going to see a semi-documentary about the police. In spite of this, while the police are ongoing characters in the film, the semi-doc conventions are minimized. There are no lab scenes, and not much effort is made to lionize the cops. Usually in movies like this of the era, the police consume lots of time tracking down and interviewing people in the victim's address book and consult them at work. Neighborhood kids tell where missing men can be found. More successful than any other method is following the money trail. Here the hero does this, rather than the police, tracking down the money wrappers to the bank.

A major cop character is played by Charles McGraw. The film has a great comic shot where this super tough officer has to hold a coddled Pekinese dog found at a crime scene. This incongruity is charming. McGraw shows himself a good sport here. There are other dynamics at play than mere humor, though. The fact that this gruff man is nice to dogs hints at a primarily wholesome feature to his character. A man who is gentle to dogs is indicative that he'll be gentle to children, and care for them. This is a significant illustration, in a film that depends on its green hero Farley Granger's effort to mature, and be a dependable family man himself.

Nothing like the youthful, blue-collar star, the villain appears to be well-to-do, while obviously too much of a street thug to be authentically posh. He is dressed in one of the flashiest pinstriped suits of the whole film noir period. He unquestionably looks the class of commercial triumph that Granger wants to be but isn't. The villain's social rank fluctuates in a dreamlike manner throughout. Initially he seems like the personification of prosperity and influence, seen in a chic business suit in a lawyer's office. As the film goes on, this pretense of a flush entrepreneur is stripped away. And the tension builds on a purely gut level, which is sometimes enough.

Jean Hagen Shines in Anthony Mann's Side Street

[JLRMovieReviews · 9/10 · 24 March 2011]

Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell, upon the success of They Live by Night, were paired together again in this quick and taut film noir. Postman Farley delivers mail to a office building and, when delivering to one office in particular, sees money lying around and getting accidentally dropped on the floor (more money than he's seen in one place.) On his modest income and with dreams to fulfill and his wife and future baby to support, he gets it in his head to break in later and steal the money. Little does he realize, until he gets it home, that the hundreds of dollars he thought it was, was really $30,000.00. Due to his conscience bothering him and thinking it wise not to have it in the apartment, he asks a friend, who's a bartender, to hold it for him. Then, things get sticky.

Farley Granger is an adequate actor and nice to look at, and his character is very likable. So the viewer is interested in what happens to him. His kissing scenes with Cathy are appropriately passionate for the newlyweds. Character and 'b' picture actor Charles McGraw is a minor villain, but James Craig is on hand as the "main bad guy," who plays it somewhat convincingly. But somehow I get the feeling he was too nice a guy in real life, to really project nastiness, as what may be called for in such a role. By the way, he too is incredibly easy on the eyes.

Director Anthony Mann effectively sweeps the viewer into Farley's world by creating the mood and heating up the intensity, and you'll walk away from this very satisfied and very entertained. But, a lot of that comes from a character introduced about an hour into it. A good actor, a professional actor with some acting chops, you can spot from the moment you set eyes on them, because they know how to walk, how to say their lines in such a way to make them their own, and is in control of everything at all times. I say actor to include all people, but the subject in question is Jean Hagen, who plays James Craig's girlfriend. The moment you see her she captures you. You know she knows what she's doing. She's got it all in control. This movie may not have a reputation as an essential to film noir. I don't know. But it should. If for no other reason, than director Mann's way of telling a story and Jean Hagen's performance, which has to be one of her best in films. "Side Street" tells a story of a path taken in life, may be right, may be wrong, but it's a detour that leads to one of life's lessons.

They live by daylight

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7/10 · 6 January 2022]

Let's be fait and straight, I prefered Nick Ray's THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, with the same Cathy O'Donnel and Farley Granger, it was a real film noir. This one is an excellent crime flick if you consider directing and acting too, only the screenplay is not the best ever, especially for a film maker as Anthony Mann. And of course, speaking of a crime flick showing a couple of lead characters - man and a woman - on the run, nothing in the movie history will be the equal of GUN CRAZY or BONNIE AND CLYDE. But those two features did not bring the very same story either, I admit. For those, however, who seek every item of Tony Mann's filmography, this one is an absolute must see.

Granger and O'Donnell Back Again

[robert-temple-1 · 8/10 · 29 October 2007]

After the shocking and emotive 'They Live by Night' (1948), Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell were paired again for another adventure together. Cathy O'Donnell repeats her heart-wrenching performance of a good girl who loves a guy in serious trouble, with her inner radiance once again practically burning holes in the celluloid. Farley Granger is more than merely confused and panicky in this film, his character goes too far over the edge into being stupid, which loses a lot of our sympathy for his plight. That was a script weakness. Anthony Mann is at full strength here as director, and the film is powerful and disturbing. Jean Hagen delivers an excellent supporting performance. The plot involves a young man desperate for a modest amount of money who steals what he thinks is $200 but it turns out it is a $30,000 blackmail payoff. You can imagine the rest. 'I want my money!' as the usual gangster's refrain, with knives and guns to back up the demand. Poor old Farley goes from one extreme peril to another, all unwitting and largely uncomprehending. His innocent young face is ravaged with panic as he sweats from one thug to another, and is caught up in murder, corruption, and intrigues which proliferate like rabbits. Neither Farley nor the audience ever knew what hit them. The film was slightly too formula, and should have had a more sophisticated script and would then have been a real classic, as it had all the other ingredients. It is eminently watchable, and frantic, and guaranteed to give you an ulcer for the duration just imagining yourself caught up in any of that nightmare. Well done all around, but it falls short by being an overly contrived concept. It lacks the onrush of the unexpected but horror of the inevitable of the loving pair's previous effort. It could so easily have surpassed it. However, it is still a very superior noir film.

Good but slightly undermined by Granger's stupid character.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 6 March 2012]

"Side Street" is a decent example of film noir. It has a VERY tough villain, cool cops and a generally decent plot. The only thing that keeps it from being among the better films of the genre is its main character--played by Farley Granger. The problem is that this guy is too weak and too difficult to like--and it's hard to have a guy like this supporting a gritty film.

The film begins with some nasty people blackmailing some rich guy. In the next scene, the lady accomplice is found dead--and it seems that the guy working with her NEVER leaves a living witness. However, a mailman (Granger) just happens upon the loot and he steals it. The villain has no idea who took the money and it's only when Granger tries to return it does he realize who he is--and, as I said, he hates to leave witnesses. Can the dope, Granger, manage to somehow come out of this alive? The best thing about the movie is the villain. He's cold, evil and brutal--and seeing him killing some of his victims is quite shocking--even today. In one scene, he kisses his girlfriend--and you see his hands slip around her throat and she's choked to death! Tough guy, that's for sure. However, the very strong and chilling nature of this guy is a HUGE contrast with Granger--who too often comes off as a bit of a weenie! Still, it's well worth seeing and won't disappoint.

A Moment of Weakness

[seymourblack-1 · 8/10 · 9 February 2018]

"Side Street" begins with some impressive aerial shots of New York City and statistical information about its citizens that together signal an attempt to make this, a production that's as realistic as possible. As it continues, the presence of an authoritative voiceover narration and extensive use of location filming successfully ensure that the desired level of authenticity is achieved in a movie which ultimately displays many of the characteristics of a docu-noir. Its story about a young man who, in a moment of weakness, gives in to temptation and does something wrong which he can't subsequently put right is a typical film noir "downward spiral" plot which, as well as being gripping, exemplifies the futility of trying to struggle against the hand of fate.

Joe Norson (Farley Granger) is a young man who's devoted to his pregnant wife Ellen (Cathy O'Donnell) and has ambitions to buy her a mink coat and take her to see some of Europe's great cities. This isn't possible however, because following a failed business venture and his inability to get a full-time job, the couple are actually poverty-stricken and live with his in-laws. One day his job as a part-time letter carrier takes Joe to the office of an attorney called Victor Backett (Edmon Ryan), where he sees $200 which has dropped on the floor and is deterred from following his natural instinct to pick it up. On a later occasion, when he calls to make a delivery to the same office, the opportunity presents itself for him to simply take the money from a filing cabinet and so he goes ahead and steals the cash.

Joe immediately finds himself in a state of panic and becomes even more scared when he discovers that the sum he's stolen was actually $30,000. To make matters worse, Backett is no ordinary victim as the stolen money was actually the proceeds of a blackmail scheme that he'd carried out with the help of the beautiful Lucille Colner (Adele Jergens) who'd lured a wealthy businessman called Emil Lorrison (Paul Harvey) into a honey trap. In a state of desperation, Joe puts the stolen cash in a package which he leaves with a local bartender for safekeeping.

In order to cover his tracks, Backett arranges for his accomplice George Garsell (James Craig) to kill Lucille and dump her body in the East River and after this is done, NYPD Captain Walter Anderson (Paul Kelly) takes charge of the investigation into the murder.

Joe tries to relieve his anguish by visiting Backett at his office and confessing what he'd done. Backett suspects that Joe may be working with the police and so pretends that he doesn't know what Joe's talking about. Subsequently though, Backett sends Garsell and a taxi driver called Larry Giff (Harry Bellaver) to retrieve the money. When Garsell catches up with Joe, he learns that the bartender, Nick Drumman (Edwin Max) has absconded with the money and so both men then go separately in search of the guy who Joe had foolishly trusted. Joe's search for Drumman ends when he discovers his dead body in circumstances that put him in the frame for the dead man's murder. Now being pursued by both the criminals and the police, Joe tries to avoid coming to a sticky end by making his own investigations into how and from whom, Backett had originally acquired the stolen money.

In "Side Street" the aerial shots of New York City emphasise how insignificant the struggling young couple are in their surroundings and also how trapped Joe is when he tries to escape the attentions of his pursuers. Similarly, because the indoor action takes place in very small rooms and shadowy staircases etc. the fact that Joe always seems to be physically hemmed-in, reflects perfectly the mental torment that he's experiencing and how impossible it seems for him to escape from his predicament.

Reuniting Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell who'd worked together so successfully in "They Live By Night" (1948) must have seemed an irresistible prospect for both commercial and artistic reasons and they both turn in good performances in this movie which is tense, riveting and ends with an exciting car chase. The supporting cast is also above average and contribute some cameos that make a really strong impression.

See it for how NYC looked back in 1950 and not for Granger as pathetic sad sack protagonist

[Turfseer · 6/10 · 28 December 2022]

"Side Street" offers a mixed bag of elements, but the character of Joe Norson, portrayed by Farley Granger, is one of its drawbacks. It can be challenging to connect with a protagonist who comes across as pathetic and lacking agency.

Joe is a part-time letter carrier in New York City, struggling financially and residing with his in-laws and his wife Ellen (Cathy O'Donnell) in a cramped tenement apartment. The impending birth of their child pushes Joe to make a foolish decision. After stumbling upon $200 in the office of crooked attorney Victor Backett (Edmon Ryan), left there by his accomplice George Garsell (James Craig), Joe impulsively steals what he believes to be that amount.

However, the stolen cash turns out to be a substantial $30,000 (equivalent to $354K today), obtained through blackmailing a wealthy broker. When Garsell murders the woman involved in the scandal, Joe finds himself caught up in a dangerous situation beyond his control.

To compound matters, Joe leaves the money with a local bartender acquaintance and concocts a lie to Ellen about a job offer upstate. Joe's misguided plan is to return the cash to Backett and request him not to press charges. Unsurprisingly, Backett suspects a trap and feigns ignorance about the money, dispatching Garsell to tail Joe. Eventually, Garsell forces Joe to reveal the location of the money by intimidating him.

As others have rightly pointed out, Joe's choices are baffling. Why didn't he keep the money for himself or anonymously return it to Backett if his conscience troubled him? Instead, he sets off a chain of increasingly perilous events, putting his and Ellen's lives in jeopardy.

The suspense heightens as Joe embarks on a quest to retrieve the money, only to discover that the bartender has been murdered by Garsell. Later, Garsell's girlfriend, the captivating femme fatale Harriet Sinton (Jean Hagen), leads Joe back to Garsell, who kidnaps him after killing Harriet.

"Side Street" culminates in a thrilling car chase through the streets of lower Manhattan, serving as the film's most exciting segment. James Craig delivers a standout performance as the murderous Garsell, stealing the spotlight from the leads, Granger and O'Donnell, who are hampered by underdeveloped roles-particularly O'Donnell, who is given little to work with as the long-suffering wife.

The inclusion of a perfunctory narrator at the end, assuring the audience that Joe will be "alright" after his arrest, leaves room for skepticism. It's unclear how the police determined his innocence in the murder of the bartender, given the circumstantial evidence against him. Moreover, Joe's crimes should be considered more than mere misdemeanors, as the sum he stole amounted to a felonious grand larceny.

Despite its flaws, "Side Street" does offer striking cinematography that provides a captivating glimpse into how New York City appeared in 1950. This visual aspect remains one of the film's strongest reasons for viewing.

"Side Street" presents a mix of engaging and frustrating elements. While it falters in certain areas, such as character development and plot choices, the film's cinematography and James Craig's standout performance contribute to moments of excitement and intrigue.

Portrait of the Protagonist as Schmuck.

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 14 June 2006]

Poor Farley Granger. He's memorable largely because of three pictures he made: "Side Street," "Strangers on a Train," and "They Live by Night." (In two of them he played opposite Cathy O'Donnell, as he does here.) The roles were almost the same. Innocent young guy gets swept up in all kinds of murderous shenanigans, pursued by cops, wanting only peace of mind and his girl friend.

This one is really more of a crime drama than a film noir, depending on the generosity of your definition. Granger steals what he believes to be two hundred dollars out of an unguarded filing cabinet. It turns out to be thirty large, blackmail owed by a prominent figure to a, well, a working girl. Stricken by conscience, Granger tries to return the money. But what a schlemiel he truly is. He could have simply kept the money because, after all, nobody has any idea he took it. And the blackmailing girl having been killed by her boyfriend, the money now belongs to nobody. He could have mailed the victim the remaining funds. He certainly knows the name and address since he was the mailman. Failing that, if he insisted on returning the money in person, the last thing even a low-mimetic type like Granger would do is waltz into the victim's office, announce his name and address, and then claim he was merely a "go-between" acting for a "friend" who wanted to give back the loot.

Granger is saddled with a young wife and a brand new baby, who is only in the film long enough for us to witness his display of paternal pride. He needs the dough, you see.

But every time he thinks he's being smart, posing as someone else, ferreting out the address of someone he needs to talk to, he gets outwitted, bopped on the head, and at the end he's taken for a ride towards the East River. He escapes, but barely.

Paul Kelly provides the Reed Hadley narration at the beginning and the end. "This is a man who is a little weak, like some of us. A little foolish, just like most of us." (I wonder how often Rod Serling saw this.) There is a nicely staged climactic chase and shoot out while cop cars zoom after a taxi. It ends in front of the New York City Courthouse. Granger is only wounded and while O'Donnell weeps and tries to smooch him through the ambulance window, Kelly reassures us, "He'll be alright." Sure he will. As soon as he finds a way to beat the raps for grand theft larceny, breaking and entering, and several charges of felony obstruction of justice.

Yet I kind of liked it. Neat location shooting. Manhattan in 1950, more smog than today but fewer people. The bartender knows your name, although you can't trust him. One murder every day, Kelly tells us, as if this were shocking. (In 1990, there were 2,245 murders, or 6.2361111 every day.) Not a sign of the potential energy the city was pregnant with, just about to become kinetic -- Kerouac, Burroughs, Cassidy, Ginsberg, Pollack. There isn't much location shooting but what there is, is effective. When Granger looks at a phone book, we see New York in 1950, when the phone numbers has real NAMES for exchanges. Names like Plaza. And Murray Hill. And Circle. And Grammercy. What do you find now? More NUMBERS, that's what you find! 21212324680! You call that a telephone number? And you're lucky to get the (212) instead of that new-fangled low-class one. Where did it all go? Pass those Kleenex, would you? Thanks. (Sob)

Anyway, the plot at times becomes a bit twisted and hard to follow as everyone tries to track down everyone else, but you'll probably enjoy it.